A Generational Challenge to Repower America – Al Gore

2008-07-17 A Generational Challenge to Repower America, Al Gore

A Generational Challenge to Repower America, Al Gore

D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.

July 17, 2008

Ladies and gentlemen:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more – if more should be required – the future of human civilization is at stake.

I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously. Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, automobile companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure. Distinguished senior business leaders are telling us that this is just the beginning unless we find the courage to make some major changes quickly.

Awash in oil money, and problems

Energy Hunt: Fort McMurray was a sleepy town on the Canadian frontier until oil transformed it into a boomtown with tons of opportunities – and concerns.

By CNN’s Ali Velshi and Katie Engelhart

Last Updated: July 10, 2008: 3:32 PM EDT

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta (CNN) — On a hot summer day, there’s a distinct smell around the remote, northern town of Fort McMurray, Canada. You might think it’s the oil being processed at nearby plants. But most residents will tell you it’s the smell of money.

Most Americans probably don’t know that one third of the world’s known oil deposits are buried in the dirt of Canada’s Alberta province. The Oil Sands of Canada – as they are known – contain the largest known oil deposit in the world, significantly larger than that of Saudi Arabia. One and a half million barrels of oil are extracted from the land every day, most of it sent directly to the U.S.

Alberta supplies about ten percent of America’s imported oil – some of it from conventional wells, but a growing amount from Oil Sands. And the fast-growing industry has turned the town of Ft. McMurray into a bonafide “boomtown” with folks here juggling new riches – and new problems.

Tar Sands a Toxic Future

Youth do an oilsands reality check, and come away with negative impressions

By CAROL CHRISTIAN
Today staff
Friday July 04, 2008

Some kind of civil disobedience from First Nation youth fed up with living with the fall-out of oilsands development of could be coming in the not-too-distant future.
That prediction was made Thursday during a meeting with First Nations representatives and young adults attending the National Youth Summit in Edmonton. Some 100 youth from across the country are expected to attend the weekend conference. Eight of the youth visited Wood Buffalo Thursday during a tour organized by Greenpeace Canada.
Most of those attending the meeting came to see the oilsands first hand, to see if the negative portrayals in the media were true. They left with the impression those negative reports were accurate.

Time Capsule Marks Climate Villians

Anti-global warming crusader stops in Fort McMurray

By CAROL CHRISTIAN
Today staff
Monday July 07, 2008

Concern about global warming has promoted one environmentalist to undertake a six-province, 24-state tour to educate people and raise awareness that action is needed now to prevent mass extinction.
And if people don’t become more environmentally responsible for themselves, then Anthony Marr hopes they will do it out of love for their children.
Marr set off from Vancouver on Tuesday on a tour entitled Saving Life on Earth From Mass Extinction Due to Global Warming. He plans to be on the road for the next 4 1/2 months, and when he visits each spot, he plans to bury a time capsule to be unearthed in 2060.

Youth Mobilize Against the Tar Sands

Youth mobilize against tar sands TheStar.com – comment – Youth mobilize against tar sands

July 04, 2008

Carol Goar

While Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this week, defending his province’s environmental practices, a spot of trouble was brewing back home.

Young people from across the country were gathering in Edmonton for a national summit on the Alberta tar sands.

“Oil is making us a lot of money right now, but it’s destroying our future, our environment,” said Nicole McDonal, one of the 100 delegates attending the three-day conference.

The Edmonton student used to be proud of her Alberta roots, but now she’s not sure. “A lot of people my age feel this way. Why are we allowing this to happen to Alberta?”

This is the not the kind of publicity Stelmach needs.

More from the spin machine

Jul 1, 2008 7:12:00 PM MST Alberta premier defends oilsands development at U.S. governors’ meeting (Alberta-Oil-Sands)

<!– google_ad_client = “pub-5199703554564395″; /* 250×250, created 3/6/08 */ google_ad_slot = “7809297577″; google_ad_width = 250; google_ad_height = 250; //–> TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. _ Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach defended his province´s development of crude from Canada´s massive oilsands Tuesday as environmentalist complaints trailed him to the Western Governors´ Association meeting in Wyoming. Stelmach said he expects his province´s oil industry to be scrutinized because it´s the top source of imported crude oil to the United States. Alberta exported 1.35 million barrels of crude oil a day to the United States in 2006, making up 13 per cent of U.S. crude imports. “Being the No. 1 supplier to the United States, we expect that we´ll be drawing attention, simply as a result of that,” Stelmach said.

NASA’s leading scientist says Big Oil fostering climate denial

NASA’s Leading Climate Scientist Says Corrupt Politics is Covering Up the Truth About Global Warming

James Hansen, head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, is widely respected as one of the world’s leading climate scientists. He says the public is being lied to and duped by special interest groups about the severity of the threat that global warming poses. He also claims that policy makers and big oil executives are sacrificing public interest to line their own pockets.

“The problem is not political will, it’s the alligator shoes – the lobbyists. It’s the fact that money talks in Washington, and that democracy is not working the way it’s intended to work,” says Hansen.

Mayors Stand Up to Big Oil

U.S. Mayors Resolve to Avoid Burning Tar Sands Oil

MIAMI, Florida, June 28, 2008 (ENS) – The U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami this week adopted a resolution aimed at avoiding the use of high carbon fuels such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale. The resolution encourages fuel analyses that include emissions from production, not just from burning the fuel.

The resolution calls for the creation of guidelines and purchasing standards to help mayors understand the greenhouse gas emissions of the fuels they purchase through their entire lifecycle from production through consumption.

“We don’t want to spend taxpayer dollars on fuels that make global warming worse,” said Mayor Kitty Piercy, of Eugene, Oregon, who submitted the resolution.

Ad mockingly invites U.S. governors to watch Alta. ‘dirty oil’ destroy forests

23 hours ago

EDMONTON — A Washington-based coalition of environmental groups is taking another tongue-in-cheek shot at the Alberta government with a newspaper ad targeting oilsands development.

The ad from the Natural Resources Defence Council features a faux postcard from Premier Ed Stelmach inviting western U.S. governors – who begin meetings Sunday with western premiers in Jackson Hole, Wyo. – to hold their next get-together near the tarsands.

“We can watch as pristine boreal forests and wetlands are destroyed to produce some of the dirtiest oil,” reads the postcard, which sits atop two vacation-style snapshots of an open-pit mine and an oil plant spewing smoke.

“Sunsets over the giant toxic waste lagoons are spectacular – just hope the ducks don’t land as they fly over looking for a place to nest!”

Greenpeace’s Hidden Agenda – They want to save the environment

Fri, June 27, 2008 Stelmach complains of environmentalist ‘hidden agenda’
Says some are targeting the provincial economy
By JEREMY LOOME, LEGISLATURE BUREAU

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Premier Ed Stelmach launched into a scathing attack against Alberta’s environmental critics today, saying some may have ulterior motives to attack the provincial economy.

His opponents on the issue immediately responded that Stelmach was fear mongering.

The suggestion came at a news conference to kick off Stelmach’s trip to the Western Governors’ Association annual meeting in Jackson Wyoming this Sunday, at which he’ll pitch Alberta’s environmental plan.

Asked for his view of Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion’s “green shift” carbon tax, Stelmach said Dion’s notion that Alberta and Saskatchewan contribute 40% of Canada’s greenhouse gases and should pay more are ridiculous and based on outlandish statistics.

He also lashed out at a Greenpeace spoof of the Travel Alberta website, called Travellingalberta.com, which uses images of environmental degradation by industry to criticize his government’s direction, calling it disgusting.